Ebook Lucretius on the Nature of Things

From the six books, as they now stand, there is no infer ence to be drawn that more were written. That something more was intended is perhaps true; for when we consider how the sixth book breaks off, we must either suppose that he designed to write a conclusion to it, or that he meant an other book to follow. He signifies, however,2 that he was drawing to the conclusion of his undertaking; and, indeed, the doctrines of Epicurus are so fully set forth in the six books, that little more could have been added respecting them. It is true that there are two or three allusions among the grammarians to passages and verses which are not now found in the six books; allusions which have led to the belief that there were more books, but which, with other considerations, led Spalding, the editor of Quintilian,3 to the suspicion that there were two editions given by the author himself, and that, though the second was generally followed, the first was not quite forgotten. Thus the 937th verse of the first book, which is now read.